Field of the Invention
This disclosure is concerned with drain fittings and drain systems, which may be configured to optimize drain flow, particularly from baths and showers.
Description of the Related Art
A typical drain from a bath is 1½ inches in diameter, with the connection to waste, such as a sewer pipe, being the same diameter. This standard drain size limits the flow of water and therefore the draining of a bath. The rate of flow is further compromised by restrictions in the drain fitting, such as stopper systems and the like. Attempts to increase the drain size are limited by resistance to deviate from industry standards. More particularly, the reduction in diameter from a larger drain to a tail piece component that is 1½ inches in diameter poses various problems. This leads to connection designs that violate code requirements and provide less than optimal outflow, in view of the initial, larger size in the drain shoe that encourages a particular flow rate that then gets slowed by the reduction in size in the connection between the drain and the waste or sewer pipe. This problem has particular inconvenience for users of walk-in-baths, where the user has to wait for the bath to drain before the door in the walk-in-bath can be opened for exit.
Therefore, objects of this disclosure include connectors from a drain inlet to a waste or sewer pipe, which pipe has a diameter smaller than that of the drain inlet that, in use, meet local code requirements; and/or have improved flow characteristics over comparable such diameter reduction drains; and/or provide faster drain times for showers and baths than comparable such diameter reduction drains.